• Sultan Al Neyadi, the Emirati astronaut who is heading to the International Space Station - seen here with his three crewmates - arrives at the launch site at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. All photos: Sarwat Nasir / The National
    Sultan Al Neyadi, the Emirati astronaut who is heading to the International Space Station - seen here with his three crewmates - arrives at the launch site at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. All photos: Sarwat Nasir / The National
  • From right: Stephen Bowen, Woody Hoburg, Dr Al Neyadi and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev
    From right: Stephen Bowen, Woody Hoburg, Dr Al Neyadi and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev
  • Hazza Al Mansouri, the first Emirati in space and Dr Al Neyadi's back-up astronaut for the mission, waves to the camera
    Hazza Al Mansouri, the first Emirati in space and Dr Al Neyadi's back-up astronaut for the mission, waves to the camera
  • The Crew-6 astronauts disembark a Nasa plane at the Kennedy Space Centre
    The Crew-6 astronauts disembark a Nasa plane at the Kennedy Space Centre
  • Dr Al Neyadi said he will take lots of delicious dates to space with him
    Dr Al Neyadi said he will take lots of delicious dates to space with him
  • Salem Al Marri, director-general of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, right, with his Nasa colleagues during the ceremony
    Salem Al Marri, director-general of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, right, with his Nasa colleagues during the ceremony
  • Dr Al Neyadi with the mission's commander, Stephen Bowen
    Dr Al Neyadi with the mission's commander, Stephen Bowen
  • The astronauts give brief speeches during the event
    The astronauts give brief speeches during the event
  • Dr Al Neyadi said that he 'couldn't believe it was real' but that he and his crew were ready for the mission
    Dr Al Neyadi said that he 'couldn't believe it was real' but that he and his crew were ready for the mission
  • Mr Al Marri briefed the audience on the UAE's space ambitions
    Mr Al Marri briefed the audience on the UAE's space ambitions
  • Adnan Al Rais, the manager for the UAE Space Mission 2, was also in attendance
    Adnan Al Rais, the manager for the UAE Space Mission 2, was also in attendance
  • Maj Al Mansouri was there to support his colleague as back-up astronaut for the mission
    Maj Al Mansouri was there to support his colleague as back-up astronaut for the mission
  • After the ceremony, the crew boarded a vehicle that took them to quarantine
    After the ceremony, the crew boarded a vehicle that took them to quarantine
  • The crew board a vehicle to go to their quarantine quarters
    The crew board a vehicle to go to their quarantine quarters
  • Dr Al Neyadi is being supported by his colleagues at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, many who are attending the launch in Florida. Photo: Mbrsc
    Dr Al Neyadi is being supported by his colleagues at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, many who are attending the launch in Florida. Photo: Mbrsc

UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi arrives in Florida for space mission as new launch date set


Sarwat Nasir
  • English
  • Arabic

Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi has arrived at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida ahead of his historic flight to the International Space Station.

The original Sunday launch was pushed back by one day and will now take place on Monday, February 27, at 10.45am GST.

An event took place on Tuesday at a landing strip near the launch site, where Dr Al Neyadi and his three Crew-6 crewmates disembarked from a Nasa plane that brought them over from Houston, Texas, where they had been training for the mission.

The National was on-site to document the event and is going to be providing insider access throughout the week before the launch.

Dr Al Neyadi, 42, is set to embark on a six-month mission to the orbiting science laboratory, the first Arab to go on a long-duration space mission and the fourth Arab in space.

During the ceremony, he spoke about his excitement about being only days away from taking off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

“It's actually a privilege,” said Dr Al Neyadi, who will be carrying out 19 science experiments assigned to him by several UAE universities.

“I can't believe that this is really happening and you only realise that when you fly by the launch pad where you see the preparations.

“It's becoming real. So, we can't thank enough everybody that helped and prepared us for this mission.

“I think we are ready physically, mentally and technically. And we can't wait to launch to space and conduct the mission.”

Years of training come to fruition

Dr Al Neyadi is heading to space with two Nasa astronauts, Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

Only Commander Bowen is an experienced astronaut, having logged more than 40 days in space, including seven spacewalks.

Dr Al Neyadi was the first of two astronauts that the UAE selected in 2018.

His colleague Hazza Al Mansouri became the first Emirati in space in 2019.

Both have been training since then around the world, including in Russia, parts of Europe, Canada and Japan, and have completed Nasa's basic astronaut training programme.

Commander Bowen said that he was “impressed” with the qualities of the Emirati astronauts.

“I met Sultan and Hazza at Star City when I was training in a Soyuz,” he said.

“I've always been impressed with the individuals and the culture they bring to it as well.”

Sharing Emirati culture

Dr Al Neyadi said he was looking forward to sharing Emirati cuisines with his colleagues on the space station.

He has not revealed the items on the menu yet, but did say he was taking dates with him.

“In terms of the food, I can only probably say dates. I love dates,” he said.

“Hopefully I'm going to share the dates with everybody, especially in Ramadan.

“This is a request from the commander and I can't say no to my commander.”

What will they do until launch day?

Now that the crew are in Florida, they will spend their remaining time before the launch in quarantine.

They will also carry out a rehearsal for launch day, called “dress day”.

The crew will wear their SpaceX pressure suits, ride to the launch pad in Teslas and then board an unfuelled rocket.

What's on launch day?

The National will be on-site when the astronauts leave their quarantine quarters on launch day.

They will say goodbye to their families one last time before heading to the launch pad.

The lift-off will take place at pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Centre.

It will be streamed live by Nasa, SpaceX and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.

Launch delayed by a day

The launch was meant to happen on February 26, but that has slipped by a day to February 27, 10.45am GST.

SpaceX said during a flight readiness review press conference that they needed the extra time for launch preparations.

The Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon Crew Capsule on top will be rolled out to the launch pad on Wednesday.

A static fire test - a ground test where the engines of the rocket are fired - will be carried out on Friday.

There are other back-up launch dates on February 28, March 2, 3 and 4.

There is a 10 per cent chance of rain on February 27 and 28.

Sultan Al Neyadi in his SpaceX astronaut suit — in pictures

  • The official SpaceX profile photo of UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, who is travelling to space on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on February 26 for a six-month mission to the International Space Station. All photos: SpaceX
    The official SpaceX profile photo of UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, who is travelling to space on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on February 26 for a six-month mission to the International Space Station. All photos: SpaceX
  • Dr Al Neyadi trains inside a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
    Dr Al Neyadi trains inside a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
  • Dr Al Neyadi, right, with his SpaceX Crew-6 colleagues for a training session in January at SpaceX headquarters in California.
    Dr Al Neyadi, right, with his SpaceX Crew-6 colleagues for a training session in January at SpaceX headquarters in California.
  • A UAE flag on Dr Al Neyadi's SpaceX pressure suit.
    A UAE flag on Dr Al Neyadi's SpaceX pressure suit.
  • Dr Al Neyadi wearing a SpaceX pressure suit, which he will wear during his flight to the International Space Station on February 26 and on his flight back to Earth six months later.
    Dr Al Neyadi wearing a SpaceX pressure suit, which he will wear during his flight to the International Space Station on February 26 and on his flight back to Earth six months later.
  • He will be launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 26 from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
    He will be launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 26 from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
  • Dr Al Neyadi inside a replica of a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule during a training session in January, 2023.
    Dr Al Neyadi inside a replica of a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule during a training session in January, 2023.
  • Dr Al Neyadi, right, and his SpaceX Crew-6 colleagues.
    Dr Al Neyadi, right, and his SpaceX Crew-6 colleagues.
  • Dr Al Neyadi has been training in different parts of the US, Europe and Japan to prepare for his space mission.
    Dr Al Neyadi has been training in different parts of the US, Europe and Japan to prepare for his space mission.
  • Nasa astronaut Stephen Bowen pictured next to Dr Al Neyadi.
    Nasa astronaut Stephen Bowen pictured next to Dr Al Neyadi.
  • SpaceX Crew-6 astronauts pose for a portrait during a crew equipment integration test at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California. From left, in their pressure suits are, Mission Specialist Andrey Fedyaev of Roscosmos; Pilot Warren 'Woody' Hoburg and Commander Stephen Bowen, both from Nasa; and Mission Specialist Sultan Alneyadi from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.
    SpaceX Crew-6 astronauts pose for a portrait during a crew equipment integration test at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California. From left, in their pressure suits are, Mission Specialist Andrey Fedyaev of Roscosmos; Pilot Warren 'Woody' Hoburg and Commander Stephen Bowen, both from Nasa; and Mission Specialist Sultan Alneyadi from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.
Cinco in numbers

Dh3.7 million

The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown

46

The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.

1,000

The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]

50

How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday

3,000

The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

1.1 million

The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.

Tonight's Chat on The National

Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.

Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.

Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

Facebook | Our website | Instagram

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'The Lost Daughter'

Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal

Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson

Rating: 4/5

Previous men's records
  • 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
  • 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
  • 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
  • 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
  • 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
  • 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
  • 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
  • 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
  • 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
  • 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi

From: Dara

To: Team@

Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT

Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East

Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.

Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.

I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.

This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.

It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.

Uber on,

Dara

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.

 

 

SPECS
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Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
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The%C2%A0specs%20
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Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

Company Fact Box

Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
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Profile

Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari

Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.

Number of employees: Over 50

Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised

Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital 

Sector of operation: Transport

Updated: February 23, 2023, 6:47 PM